Jay LaPrete | AP Photo
FOOTBALL PREVIEW
(AP) – The Rose Bowl between eighth-seeded Ohio State and top-seeded Oregon in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal has many subplots for Chip Kelly. The game in the venerable stadium is a homecoming for Kelly, who resigned from UCLA in February after six seasons to become Ohio State’s offensive coordinator. With Kelly calling the plays, Ohio State is 11th in the nation in scoring offense, averaging 36 points per game, and 32nd in total offense at 427.3 yards per game. Kelly also was Oregon’s head coach for four seasons and had a 46-7 record before leaving for the NFL in 2013. Kelly is winless in six games against the Ducks, including a 32-31 loss in Eugene in prime time Oct. 12.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Even when Penn State quarterback Drew Allar gets some praise, it’s usually a backhanded compliment. They say he’s a good game manager and stays within himself, or that he doesn’t try to do too much. They mention he might not be flashy, but he gives the team a chance to win. And here’s the thing about Penn State since Allar stepped under center: The Nittany Lions have won games. A lot of them. Sometimes that’s hard to remember considering the lukewarm reception he often gets from fans. The polarizing Allar has another chance to quiet his critics on Tuesday, when Penn State plays Boise State in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals at the Fiesta Bowl.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Penn State coach James Franklin believes college football needs a commissioner and he even has a candidate in mind: former Alabama coach Nick Saban. Franklin made the suggestion Sunday at Penn State’s College Football Playoff quarterfinals media day ahead of the Fiesta Bowl. The sixth-seeded Nittany Lions are preparing for their game against No. 3 seed Boise State on Tuesday. The veteran coach was responding to a question about Penn State’s backup quarterback situation after Beau Pribula transferred to Missouri before the playoff. Pribula’s decision highlighted some of the frustrating aspects of a new college football world in the Name, Image and Likeness era and the transfer portal, forcing players to make tough decisions at inopportune times.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Braden Smith had 34 points and 12 assists to lift No. 21 Purdue to an 83-64 victory over Toledo. Smith sank 12 of 22 shots, including 6 of 13 from 3-point range, for the Boilermakers (9-4). Trey Kaufman-Renn contributed 23 points on 11-of-14 shooting and Fletcher Loyer added 17 points for Purdue. Smith scored 17 of his points in the opening half to guide Purdue to a 39-28 halftime advantage. Purdue used an 18-2 spurt to take a 28-14 lead with 5:39 left in the first half.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lauren Betts scored 21 points in her return, Kiki Rice added 18 and top-ranked UCLA routed Nebraska 91-54 in its Big Ten home opener. Betts was back after missing two games with a leg injury she sustained at Long Beach State on Dec. 14. She had eight rebounds in helping the Bruins dominate the boards, 48-18. UCLA improves to 13-0 overall and 2-0 in the Big Ten. The Bruins were playing their first game in nine days, but showed no rust. Amiah Hargrove led Nebraska with 12 points. The Cornhuskers fall to 10-3 and 1-1. Their leading scorer, Alexis Markowski, was held to three points while saddled with four fouls.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — JuJu Watkins scored 31 points , making 13 of 14 free throws, and No. 4 Southern California beat No. 23 Michigan 78-58 in the Trojans’ Big Ten home opener. Watkins had five rebounds, seven assists, three steals and three blocks. Kiki Iriafen added 18 points for the Trojans, who improved to 12-1 overall and 2-0 in the Big Ten. Watkins and Iriafen combined to score USC’s first 16 points in the fourth quarter. The Wolverines were led by Jordan Hobbs with 19 points. She rattled off 14 points in a row in the second quarter to leave Michigan trailing by three at halftime. The Wolverines fell to 10-3 and 1-1.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Kylan Boswell had 18 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists and Tomislav Ivisic scored 23 points to lead No. 24 Illinois to a 117-64 victory over winless Chicago State. Boswell was one assist shy of his first triple-double and got it with a pass that set up Keaton Kutcher’s 3-pointer with 1:47 left. It was the seventh triple-double in program history. Gabe Spinelli, son of Chicago State coach Scott Spinelli, led the Cougars with 20 points.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Myles Rice scored 18 points to lead Indiana to a 77-68 victory over Winthrop. Rice made 7 of 13 shots and all four of his free throws for the Hoosiers (10-3), who improved to 9-0 at home by holding the Eagles (10-5) scoreless over the final 3:16 to wrap up the victory. He added four rebounds, three assists and three steals. Malik Reneau totaled 14 points and seven rebounds for Indiana. Trey Galloway added 11 points and five assists. Langdon Hatton had a game-high 11 rebounds to go with seven points off the bench. K.J. Doucet and Kasen Harrison both scored 14 to lead Winthrop, which fell to 1-4 on the road.
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